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NHL Picks

NHL Picks: Sharks vs. Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks play host to the San Jose Sharks tonight at the Rogers Arena. Who should we be backing with our free sports picks here?

The
San Jose Sharks have averted disaster…for now. After starting the season
10-1-1, the Sharks slumped with a five-game losing streak before winning on
Tuesday in Calgary. We’ll find out if that was just a one-off or a trend when
they visit the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, who are also mired in a bit of
downward spiral.

The
San Jose Sharks can win because…

They
got back on track. While the Sharks had lost five straight, the losses were a
bit overblown. It has to be noted that four of them came in overtime, so it’s
not as if the team suffered an epic collapse. What gets overlooked is that
nothing happened to their offense. They’ve still scored 18 goals in their last
six, which is a reasonable 3.0 goals per game.

They
just need better play on defense. The good news is goaltender Antti Niemi has a
1.94 GAA on the road this season and allowed just five goals in three meetings
with the Canucks last season.

The
Vancouver Canucks can win because…

They
are back at home. People who’ve added the Canucks to their NHL picks have
cashed in on their road games as they are 7-4-2 when away, but it’s clear that
they grew weary in their last trip. The Canucks ran out of gas on the west
coast, losing three out of four. However, the one win they did get was in San
Jose.

Sharks
netminder Antti Niemi has really struggled recently and that’s been the
difference for San Jose. He’s allowed four goals in four of his last five
starts and that’s simply not good enough.

This
is tough game to call as both teams are slumping. The Canucks aren’t great at
home while the Sharks have been struggling on the road. Niemi has been off while
Luongo was pulled in his last outing. That being the case, we’ll take the over.
Normally, a total of five would make sense on the NHL odds but given the labors
of both goaltenders, I’ll add the over to my sports picks.